News Flash

Migration : Spain's Foreign Minister refers to Morocco’s «shared responsibility»

Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister Josep Borrell and his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita have agreed to improve cooperation when it comes to the migration crisis, referring to Morocco and Spain’s «shared responsibility», says Europa Press. Josep Borrell participated in the World Policy Conference, held from the 26th to the 28th of October in Rabat, to discuss the main challenges of the international community. During his stay in Morocco, Borrell met on Saturday his Moroccan

Royal Air Maroc to launch three new routes in 2019

On April, 2019, Royal Air Maroc (RAM) is launching three new routes linking Casablanca to three major capitals : Amman (Jordan), Abuja (Nijeria) and Vienna (Austria). According to a communiqué sent by RAM to Yabiladi on Monday, these three routes will be operational three times a week. The flight linking Casablanca to Vienna will be scheduled on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11 am. Flights from Vienna to Casablanca will be at 3:40 pm. The company is also strengthening its network in

Melilla borders : Moroccan-Spanish working groups never met, reveals Borrell

On September the 13th in Rabat, and after the Morocco’s Director General of the Customs Administration met with his Spanish counterpart, the two parties agreed to create a «joint working group» to examine the closure of borders separating Melilla and northern Morocco. Six weeks later, the joint working group never met, said Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell during a press briefing held Saturday, 28th of October. «You know, a month is not enough to

The Muslim community raises money to help the Pittsburgh shooting's victims

Two Muslim groups in the USA have launched a crowdfunding campaign to help the victims of the Pittsburgh shooting which took the lives of 11 people and injured six others on Saturday, 27th of October, says online newspaper the Hill. The American-Muslim community have managed to generate $111,757, a few thousand dollars less than the campaign’s goal, $125.000. Des musulmans américains s’unissent pour venir en aide financièrement (obsèques, soins, etc.) aux

Austria to promote bilateral ties with Morocco, says Austrian Foreign Minister

Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl stressed, on Saturday in Rabat, the willingness of her country to promote bilateral relations with Morocco. Morocco and Austria, which have deep-rooted relations, seek to boost their cooperation in various fields, Kneissl said during a press briefing after talks with foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, during which she notably hailed Morocco's leadership as a center of regional stability and a credible and responsible partner. The Austrian Minister lauded

Casablanca : A migrant camp catches fire near Oulad Ziane

A new fire broke out Saturday, 27th of October, burning a camp that hosts sub-Saharan migrants near Oulad Ziane in Casablanca. The fire damaged the tents and destroyed the belongings of several migrants. Firefighters managed to control the fire and an investigation was opened to determine the circumstances of the incident. Speaking to Yabiladi, a migrant who used to live in the camp that caught fire indicated that the incident was an act of vandalism. «When I came back, I saw the

Mohammedia: ISIS supporter arrested over suspicions of preparing terrorist Project

As part of proactive operations to counter terrorist threats, the central bureau for judiciary investigations (BCIJ) arrested, on Saturday on the basis of accurate information provided by the directorate general of national territory surveillance, an engineering student suspected of planning and preparing a terrorist project using an explosive belt. The suspect was arrested in the city of Mohammedia over his alleged allegiance for ISIS terrorist group, said a statement by the BCIJ, adding that

Morocco rescues more than 300 migrants off the Mediterranean

On Saturday, 27th of October, the Royal Navy announced that it rescued more than 300 migrants who were carried by 16 boats, reports AFP quoting Map news agency. The boats were intercepted on Thursday night and the authorities assisted the migrants off the Mediterranean and the Atlantic ocean. Rescue operations were carried out on Friday too and «all the migrants were brought back to various ports of the kingdom safe and sound», said a military source. Omar Naji, president of the

USA sides with Morocco in counterterrorism fight, says US Deputy

The United States sides with Morocco in its fight against terrorism and in security preservation, said, on Friday in Rabat, chairwoman of U.S. House Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. In a statement to the press after her talks with Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Ros-Lehtinen said that Morocco and the United States share «the same problems», noting that the Kingdom is a strong country with a good governance and saying that she is convinced that

Henley Passport Index : Morocco ranked second in North Africa

The Moroccan passport is ranked second in North Africa, according to the 2018 Henley Passport Index, reports Le Monde. The nationals who are allowed to enter foreign countries with almost no prior approval are Japanese 1st, Singaporeans 2nd, French 3rd, Germans and South Koreans. In North Africa, the Tunisian passport is heading the list with 66 visa-free destinations. The country is followed by Morocco (61), Mauritania (58), Algeria (50) and Egypt (49). According to the

Morocco will stay on summer time

The Council of Government, convened on Friday under the chairmanship of Head of Government, Saad Eddine El Othmani, adopted a draft decree to stay on the summer time permanently. The decree stipulates that Morocco's local time will be Greenwich Mean Time + 1 (GMT +1) and will not be changed over the course of the year. Le conseil de gouvernement adopte un projet de décret relatif à l'heure légale stipulant le maintien permanent de l'heure d'été en vigueur

Migration : A European Parliament delegation to visit Ceuta and Melilla

The European Parliament is particularly interested in migrants staying at shelters in Ceuta and Melilla. MEPs from the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs will visit the two cities from the 29th to the 31st of October, announced the EU body. The delegation will hold meetings with representatives of the Spanish Government and local authorities tasked with border surveillance to discuss the reception and housing of migrants, particularly unaccompanied

Youth unemployment : The deadline given by the King to El Othmani has expired, says El Khalfi

On October the 1st, after a work session, King Mohammed VI ordered Prime Minister Saadeddine El Othmani to submit concrete solutions to youth unemployment in the country within «three weeks». The deadline has expired and the El Othmani has not presented yet his project to the sovereign. The topic was discussed Thursday, 25th of October, by the government’s Spokesperson at a press conference. «We have organized a series of meetings», said Mustapha El Khalfi,

King Mohammed VI receives Minister of Industry and CEO of Renault Group

King Mohammed VI received, on Thursday at Marrakech royal palace, Minister of Industry, Investment, Trade and Digital Economy Moulay Hafid Elalamy and CEO of Renault Group Carlos Ghosn. During this audience, the sovereign was informed of the extension project of the Moroccan Society of Automotive Construction (SOMACA) by doubling its production capacity to reach 160,000 vehicles per year by 2022. The twofold increase will enable the Renault group to increase its production capacity in Morocco

Al Hoceima : Five Hirak activists face new charges

The Al Hoceima Appeal Court summoned five Hirak activists after the city’s authorities filed a new complaint against them. According to Alyaoum 24, which quotes Hirak's lawyer, Rachid Bellali, the five activists are facing new charges. «They are accused of having insulted members of the public authority who were on duty and of calling people to participate in an unauthorized demonstration», says the lawyer. The first hearing is expected to take place on October the 29th. The

Private equity firm DPI purchases stake in Morocco’s mattress producer Dolidol

Development Partners International (DPI), a private equity firm investing across Africa, has purchased stake in Morocco’s mattress maker Dolidol, reports Reuters on Thursday quoting DPI. DPI bought 20 percent stake in Dolidol for $30 million to help the Moroccan company increase its operations in West Africa, said the private equity in a statement issued today. «We are predicting that the market (Morocco) will perform strongly in the years to come, underpinned by strong

Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Aerospace to open a new location in Morocco

Germany’s materials services company Thyssenkrupp Aerospace is to open a new location by the end of this year in Morocco. According to a press release issued on Wednesday, October the 24th, the new plant located at the Ouled Saleh Industrial area, will be built on around 3,500 m² and will be home to a warehouse, a production and offices. «We will be commissioning our highly modern materials processing and logistics center in Casablanca before the end of the year, so that

Morocco slips to 47th place in FIFA ranking

Morocco's national football team dropped two places to 47th spot in the latest FIFA ranking, released on Thursday. Morocco ranks fifth in the African continent. Tunisia (22nd worldwide) dominates the continental ranking, followed by Senegal (25th), Nigeria (44th) and Congo DR (46th). Belgium, France and Brazil are the top three sides in the world.